Supporting application effectiveness in a network environment

• US 7,817,536 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Purpura, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang; Charles C
• Application Number:
  US11/702,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-228, 709223-226, 714/100, 714 1- 4
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/16 in which the time allocation to individual channels within a transmission cycle is variable, e.g. to accommodate varying complexity of signals, to vary number of channels transmitted H04J3/17, H04J3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/22 in which the sources have different rates or codes simultaneous speech and digital data or video transmission H04M11/06; see provisional also H04J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76

Abstract

A system for performing an application in a network-centric environment using capabilities attributed to the application. Each capability is assigned one or more priorities for the application. At least one node is configured to identify a change in the capabilities and negotiate in the network-centric environment to resolve the change. Nodes are may negotiate until the application is provided with resources resolving the change in accordance with applicable priorities. This method provides a self-healing capability in a net-centric environment. Thus an application may be enabled to continue even under rapidly changing circumstances.

Claims

1. A method of performed in a network having a plurality of nodes including a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

a given node of the network detecting a change in one or more resources supporting a given application on the given node, the plurality of nodes and applications configured in the network with reference to a framework predefining an ordered relationship hierarchy of a plurality of network capabilities providable by the applications and nodes, the hierarchy having interoperability as the base capability upon which all of the other predefined capabilities depend, each application attributed with one or more of the predefined capabilities;

the given node testing, in a first order predetermined by the hierarchy, the predefined capabilities attributed to the given application to identify an affected capability in which a change caused the detected change in the one or more resources; and

the given node healing the affected capability, the healing performed by;

the given node negotiating, in a second order determined by the hierarchy, with other nodes of the network for one or more resources to resolve the detected change;

the given node verifying, as to the attributed capabilities of the given application in the second order determined by the hierarchy, that the one or more resolving resources support the attributed capabilities, if any, of the given application that support the affected capability; and

the given node making the one or more resolving resources available to the given application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying comprises ensuring that one or more performance parameters qualifying the supporting capabilities, if any, are satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more capabilities of the hierarchy include information assurance, data management, knowledge management, and collaboration in communities of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the given node negotiating with other applications for a resolving resource.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first order determined by the hierarchy begins with interoperability, and the second order ends with interoperability.